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[STP Images]

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[hoseman1]

Your best bet is to call the postmaster and file a claim, but the reality of it is, the damage is already done. We have been shipping about 25 pcs a week for 10 years now and found that when something like this happens the best thing to do is , when possible, just send another one. Try sending it UPS. and insure it for a outrageous amount. At least this way if they bend a or damage it you can give the client a " bonus gift " , IE insurance check, as placification while they await their replascment.
Greg

[Lghtning4u]

Yea, just send another one. Sandwich it in alot of cardboard this time.

[ndsimm]

Sorry, but I have to concur...USPS won't really do much, which is why I started using UPS and FedEx

[L Stegall]

Without insurance, there really is not much you can do, but you can insure things you send via USPS and the insurance is very inexpensive.

[HotHolly]

You can drop ship and then it has all the original packaging so that they CANNOT squash it into a mailbox. Or you can order it to you - check the print and reuse all the original packaging. It usually arrives without any harm. Good luck!

[bondarnes]

If it wasn't mounted you can roll it up and ship it in a mailing tube. Otherwise tha advice already given is good.

[Jim Neely]

UPS has destroyed a couple for me. I now use USPS and tubes.

jn

[Jim Victory]

Originally Posted by L Stegall

Without insurance, there really is not much you can do, but you can insure things you send via USPS and the insurance is very inexpensive.

Not anymore!

I have been using USPS for shipping because of the insurance and the ability to regidter it but their cost have gone up dramaticlly since the last increase. A package shipped recently was twice what it cost using UPS than with USPS with the same insurance amount.

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

As mentioned above your pretty much out of luck unless you had it insured.
Now in the future you can:

Hand delivery it: Costs are high for you driving all over everywhere at $3.00+ a gallon and time.
Ship it the way you did and hope it doesn't get squashed this time-Don't go to Vegas DO NOT PASS GO AND COLLECT $200
Ship it the same way and insure it for a reasonable amount above value: If you go way above real artistic/replacement value-it is just a photograph you will have problems on collecting the claim.

Ship it in a larger and thicker and stiffer mailing system-think of carbon fiber reinforced cross struts to make it impossible to bend by hand-higher shipping materials costs, higher weight hence higher shipping fees but knowing the item will get their safe 99% of the time.

Ship it unmounted and in a tube, if customer requires it mounted then find a local frame shop to send it to for mounting and customer pick up if it isn't a local delivery then if it is then hand deliver it.

If it is a large photograph in frame ship the sucker in a wooden crate but without glass installed (you can also have the glass in the crate well protected and behind the framing).

Shipping is a devil for flat medium sized items because other things will invariabley be tossed ontop of it during handling by whoever you use to ship the item.

[*Mike*]

Incidentally - if you do ship via WHCC or MPIX - both labs will reship should the carrier crush the boxes - free of charge and without insurance. WHCC has free shipping with a $12 min order, and MPIX is a flat $4.95 for Priority Mail. But you'll be back to dropshipping again.

[Trinitee]

Ahhhh the wonderful USPS. I've had several "do not bend" items crammed in my old PO Box before... workers don't give a crap.

Recent brief story:

I sold some tickets to the May 5th WICKED musical in Dallas on eBay. A guy buys 4. I mail them April 27 via Priority Mail w/ delivery confirmation from Dallas to McKinney. Normally this takes 1 day. This envelope doesn't make it there on time... I refunded the guys money. But what is worse is:

THE PACKAGE IS STILL MISSING TODAY.

I spoke to everyone from Post Master to Filing a complaint... Basically I was told:
1- An item is not missing until 30 days
2- Priority Mail states 2-3 day delivery... but that is not guaranteed
3- Even if I had insurance on the item, if it showed up in the 30 period the Post Office assumes no responsibility even though the tickets are expired and worthless.

No more USPS for me, only for plain letters. Everything else goes UPS it's insured and the delivery route can be tracked.

[Trinitee]

Of course I have a recent UPS story too....
I order my Canon EOS 20D from New York it's shipped UPS ground. I track the package and know the day it's going to be delivered.
I already have a small sign on my mailbox:

To: FEDEX & UPS drivers... please leave all packages with my next door neighbor blah blah blah.

Apparently we now have a new UPS driver, so I figure I'd make another sign in a number 36 bold font with the deliver info in RED, so it won't be left on my front porch for someone to swipe. The sign is smack in the middle of my glass storm door. NO WAY anyone could miss it.

Where was my camera?

YEP!!

Thank God my kids got back from school early and retrieved it.

I did call up the driver's supervisor and tore him a new one.

[Ann Martin]

UPS will only let you insure YOUR COST of the portraits you ship.
You can't insure for the price you charged the client and you can't "overinsure" as was suggested. Well, you can't overinsure and actually collect.

I know a photographer who will have the bride's mother pick up the album and ship it to out of town brides instead of the studio shipping it. That way, mom can insure the album for the retail value.

[laawaaris]

i once sent a package via Priority Mail, and it took 3 weeks to arrive

actually our local "Mail Boxes, Etc" store in my neighborhood is really friendly and knowledgable; i've asked them several times about the pros and cons of shipping things via one service over another

you can probably pay a visit to your local store and explain your situation ... they should be able to give some fairly straightforward advice on what service and method to use